Advocacy & Safety - Hit by Prius at 45 MPH, lives to blog about it

sub20olh.blogspot.com

Lucky fellow.

-Kurt

P.S.: Your post title reminded me of a thought I had earlier in the day. Sooner or later, there will be a post on an automobile forum: "Smart car hit by cyclist at 25mph, motorist lives to blog about it."

And they say bicycles are "exposed" vehicles. :rolleyes:

Did the buddy give the lady her mirror back?

One will hope the wags won't want to know if the accident was "green". That isn't fun anyway it's looked at.

doesnt surprise me the car is designed with pedestrians in mind like the honda civic exept they dont boast about it

A Prius passed me on a long downhill the other day, and I didn't even know it was there until it was beside me. I even use a mirror, although it shrinks the images quite a bit. The Prius passed me pretty closely, so it was lucky for me that I didn't swerve to miss a pothole or anything. I was going 30 mph down the hill, and the speed limit on the street was about 30.

I didn't realize Honda made a Prius

yep your right and the coolest prius ever made:


http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/diaries/chris_d/chris_d0705/2ndstage_004.jpg

I hit a Prius, who continued on without stopping last summer. I was riding along a road, one lane in each direction, about 1/4 mile from a light where most of the traffic wanted to turn left - I was going to go straight through. Traffic was backed up for about a mile, so I was filtering forward to the right of the stopped traffic. As I approached a (non controlled) intersection, I saw a car on my right, who wanted to make a right turn into the traffic, which was stopped. One of the cars had stopped to open a gap to allow her to move in, but the gap was not yet large enough for her to merge. As I approached the intersection, I slowed down to about 5mph, waiting to see how things would develop. The driver of the right turning car waved me through, since she couldn't make her turn, and I proceeded slowly, keeping my eye on her since I never trust someone who is waving me through... As I was entering the intersection, a Prius coming in the opposite direction made a left turn through the gap in the traffic, and appeared right in front of me. I turned to my left, grazing the right side of the Prius, ripping the tape on my right handlebar, and bruising my right hand, but not going down. The Prius never stopped but sped up the road.

Lucky fellow.

-Kurt

P.S.: Your post title reminded me of a thought I had earlier in the day. Sooner or later, there will be a post on an automobile forum: "Smart car hit by cyclist at 25mph, motorist lives to blog about it."

And they say bicycles are "exposed" vehicles. :rolleyes:

Actually the Smart Car just received pretty high crash test ratings (http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/14/autos/smart_fortwo_iihs_crash_test/?postversion=2008051410)...

I didn't realize Honda made a Prius

further evidence that I could care less about cars :)

I didn't realize Honda made a Prius

I wonder if it was Toyota Prius or a Honda? I guess it really doesn't matter. They would both hurt a lot!

... Brad

Amazing how a smart car doesn't always reflect on the driver?

I'm surprised a Prius can generate enough force to actually be in an accident. Isn't this the vehicle you turn by just holding your hand out the window.

I don't recommend, Dobber, that you try out your hypothesis. I speak from experience.

I'm surprised a Prius can generate enough force to actually be in an accident. Isn't this the vehicle you turn by just holding your hand out the window.

The electric+gas hybrid drive puts out something like 120-130hp combined. Good enough.

my wife has one (prius).
i think it's good, wish there were more using the roads (got deisiled sp-several times in today's commute).
my real concern is increase use of motorcycles and road sharing.

...

The electric+gas hybrid drive puts out something like 120-130hp combined. Good enough.

lol try less than 100
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2286/dynorunsmallcopy6eg.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dynorunsmallcopy6eg.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsvoMhrUqWA&feature=related

lol try less than 100
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2286/dynorunsmallcopy6eg.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dynorunsmallcopy6eg.jpg)

Ehh - that's not really indicative of Prius power.

Two motors: 76HP Gas, 67HP Electric. Rarely will both engines be running at 100% power. Hybrids just don't work like that. That's why the dyno only shows 100ish horsepower. Throw in the standard 15% drivetrain loss and you're at 115HP. Not a hot rod, but like I said, not really indicative of the car and also kind of irrelevant given the purpose of the car.

Down-low grunt is where small gas engines typically suffer, which is why the Prius' electric motor has 295ft/lbs of torque. This is PLENTY to keep up with traffic.

The 0-60 is in the 10.5 sec range. That's fine for a car. Hot rod? no - Sufficient? yes.

Down-low grunt is where small gas engines typically suffer, which is why the Prius' electric motor has 295ft/lbs of torque. This is PLENTY to keep up with traffic.

Very few internal combustion engines put out that kind of torque.

... Brad

Very few internal combustion engines put out that kind of torque.

... Brad

Prius has traction control and one can feel it kick in if one punches the accelerator, so while it would be easy to without it, it is impossible to slips the wheels on a low traction start. it is somewhat annoying feeling the power drop if say making a right turn into a gap in traffic and one hits the accelerator a bit too hard

Ehh - that's not really indicative of Prius power.

Two motors: 76HP Gas, 67HP Electric. Rarely will both engines be running at 100% power. Hybrids just don't work like that. That's why the dyno only shows 100ish horsepower. Throw in the standard 15% drivetrain loss and you're at 115HP. Not a hot rod, but like I said, not really indicative of the car and also kind of irrelevant given the purpose of the car.

Down-low grunt is where small gas engines typically suffer, which is why the Prius' electric motor has 295ft/lbs of torque. This is PLENTY to keep up with traffic.

The 0-60 is in the 10.5 sec range. That's fine for a car. Hot rod? no - Sufficient? yes.
115 is still not 120-130. It's still quite under your average car sold in America now-a-day. Who cares about theoretical combined power when reality says they'll never be the right conditions for them to work that way?

I'm not saying that ~110 hp is a bad idea, I'm just saying that saying the Prius has this magically high number of power is bad, not to mention the number that really matters, the power-to-weight ratio is that of your typical econo-box developed 15-20 years ago. I don't think people need 0-60 in anything faster than 14 sec to be honest, but this whole "zomg it has real power" is ridiculous. People like to make a big huff that they don't have the typical "power hungry" attitude, but quote unrealistically high numbers, and still complain about low powered cars, not realizing the end performance is the same, and actually is MORE on the lighter cars with current technology.

And copying off of Wikipedia is great, but you do realize how electric motors work, thats 295ft/lbs of torque at 0 RPM. It drops rapidly as speed increases, and because it's not direct drive the system loses power even more rapidly.


It's a decent technology, but I didn't expect this wanna-be car enthusiast attitude from an anti-car bike forum. Err anti-if-it-isn't-a-prius.

Ditto re: Smartcars They're built like as strong little clamshell. Certainly less dangerous than an SUV overcorrecting at 65. I love the smartcar - a guy from work has one and its deceptively roomy and you sit quite high.

Actually the Smart Car just received pretty high crash test ratings (http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/14/autos/smart_fortwo_iihs_crash_test/?postversion=2008051410)...

Fifth Gear, the UK TV show, tested it themselves, too.

Full version, comparing the FourTwo to an older Vauxhall Corsa:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sR6UozdBWRY

The FourTwo's crash itself:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mcuimw8ql_A

Chinese midsized sedan crash test failure:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=F06LjugtIUo&feature=related

And, just because someone drives a Smart doesn't mean that they're smart enough to park the thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cCtoPmeaHo
:roflmao2:

lol try less than 100
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2286/dynorunsmallcopy6eg.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dynorunsmallcopy6eg.jpg)

That's wheel horsepower though, a number significantly less than the brake horsepower typically used by non-enthusiasts.

Either way, it's more than anyone needs to drive legally on the streets.

Either way, it's more than anyone needs to drive legally on the streets.

Well, usually, but sometimes more power is needed on freeway on-ramps just to get up to the speed of the traffic, making merging much safer and easier.

Of course, that doesn't mean anything over 300 is necessary, but even my 158 whp Civic needed help when I had five people in it (that's when I really wanted a supercharger or a motor swap).

Well, usually, but sometimes more power is needed on freeway on-ramps just to get up to the speed of the traffic, making merging much safer and easier.

Of course, that doesn't mean anything over 300 is necessary, but even my 158 whp Civic needed help when I had five people in it (that's when I really wanted a supercharger or a motor swap).

This was debated on my bike club mailing list and the person whose opinion I value the most (as an Engineer) made the blanket statement "Cars are overpowered"

Well, usually, but sometimes more power is needed on freeway on-ramps just to get up to the speed of the traffic, making merging much safer and easier.

Of course, that doesn't mean anything over 300 is necessary, but even my 158 whp Civic needed help when I had five people in it (that's when I really wanted a supercharger or a motor swap).

I think you're mixing up easy with necessary.

I commuted on the highway for years in a 92 CX hatch, so I'm familiar with low-power. Fortunately, the car was relatively low weight as well - which unfortunately can't be said of any new cars.

Your example understandable but pretty extreme. Most people I see having problems tend to crawl down the 1/4 mile ramp at 45, then try to merge in to 80mph traffic within the last 40 yards.

I think you're mixing up easy with necessary.

To me, merging safely is necessary, and if I can't get up to speed, I get pretty nervous.

What was funny about that time was I had the car spinning up to redline in every gear, and the older couple in the back were saying, "Woo-hoo, this is pretty fast!" :D but I was sitting there thinking, come on come on get this sucker moving!...

Its published weight is around 2850 lbs, but with five people it becomes a 3500-lb car with a mere 135 ft-lbs of torque. Add in the fact that the highway designers hadn't yet figured out onramps in the early stages of the interstate system's construction here in the East, so there are some pretty dangerously short ramps here where high acceleration is a must-have.


Your example understandable but pretty extreme. Most people I see having problems tend to crawl down the 1/4 mile ramp at 45, then try to merge in to 80mph traffic within the last 40 yards.

They do that in NC, too? It can be worse in & around PA, where people will actually STOP on a ramp and try to find a huge gap so they can merge into 70-mph traffic. It's possibly the stupidest thing I've ever experienced in all my miles of highway travel. "Well, sometimes you have to stop to get a good look," they'll say. Jeezus f'in... :rolleyes: x a lot.

I have a Toyota Prius and put a bike hitch and rack on the car. It is awesome! I get great gas mileage and can carry my bikes around.

Check this link out:

www.ride-strong.com/can-i-put-a-bike-rack-on-my-toyota-prius-rear-hitch-and-bike-rack-is-the-way-to-go (http://www.ride-strong.com/can-i-put-a-bike-rack-on-my-toyota-prius-rear-hitch-and-bike-rack-is-the-way-to-go)

http://www.ride-strong.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/bikerackpriusside.jpg

I have a Toyota Prius and put a bike hitch and rack on the car. It is awesome! I get great gas mileage and can carry my bikes around.

I'm feeling you! I've averaged over 51 mpg since I drove it off the showroom floor. With the 60/40 back seats in a mid-sized auto .... what else could one want in a bicycling carrying machine? :thumb:

http://www.velotees.com/images/BlurOnPrius1.jpg
http://www.velotees.com/images/BlurOnPrius2.jpg

... Brad